According to GM, the SSR (pictured) combines pickup practicality with push-button open-top versatility ... and a 6.0-litre V8 driving the rear wheels. Or, as GM's press release says, it's a "snazzier and sportier than most" pickup concept with "take-no-prisoner" performance.

"The SSR will appeal to enthusiasts of all ages," Chevrolet general manager Kurt Ritter said at the unveiling of the car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

"The Chevrolet bow tie has long stood for spirited, functional cars and trucks," he said. "The SSR brings the best of both worlds to the extreme. A rear-drive roadster with a 6.0-litre V8 is about as spirited as it gets, and what could be more functional than a roadster with a cargo bed."

Underlining the performance message is the SSR's wheel-and-tyre specification: 5-spoke alloys - 19-inch up front and 20-inch at the rear - and Z-rated performance tyres.

Obviously, the SSR takes its styling cues from 1950s Chevrolets and, therefore, indirectly from the FJ ute. The interior is retro-inspired, too, with a twin cockpit theme a la early Corvettes. A storage area between the front seats folds down to become an occasional third-adult or child seat, or an armrest with, of course, slide-out cupholders.

To make life easier for the occasional third adult or child, the automatic gearshift lever has been relocated from the floor to (here's a novel idea!) the steering column. It's another feature that will bring smiles to the faces of owners of old Holdens.

The SSR's unique feature - and the reason it can lay claim to its "roadster" title - is its power-operated retractable hardtop. The two-piece top stows vertically between the seat and the rear storage bed.

As the GM press release says: "With the top down, and the sun shining in, the SSR becomes a truck like no other truck and a roadster like no other roadster.

According to GM, the rear cargo area can carry a multitude of items, it has a lockable storage area, and the tailgate can be operated remotely with a button on the key fob, or opened manually using the latch on the inside of the tailgate itself.